Two NIST Physicists Win 2007 PECASE Honors

Two physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have won Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the nation’s highest honor for the most promising young researchers. The White House announced the 2007 awards on Dec. 19.

The NIST winners are William Rippard, who has created new forms of electronic devices based on the “spin” of electrons, and Raymond Simmonds, a leader in the field of quantum information science, who is conducting research on potentially powerful computer designs based on quantum physics. Rippard and Simmonds both work at NIST laboratories in Boulder, Colo.

PECASE was established in 1996. NIST is among eight federal departments and agencies that annually nominate scientists and engineers whose work shows exceptional promise. Winners receive up to five years of funding to further their research in support of critical government missions.